Facilities

Chapels

Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas

The present Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas was built in 1917. E.L. Masqueray, who also designed the St. Paul Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, was the architect. The university’s chapel is an excellent example of the classicized mode of design that emanated from the Ecole des Beaux Arts during the early years of the twentieth century.

The luminous stained glass, designed by Chester Leighton of Minneapolis, and the paintings containing sacred and secular details by Joseph Capecchi and Carl Olson, were installed in the 1940s. The chapel was renovated in 1978 and in 1987, a three-manual 56-rank mechanical action pipe organ, designed and built by Gabriel Kney of London, Ontario, was installed.

The Chapel was renovated again in 2008 by designers Alexander Tylevich and Fr. James Notebaart with the addition of an 11-ft-tall altar crucifix, sanctuary gates, a new altar and ambo.

St. Mary’s Chapel

St. Mary’s Chapel of The Saint Paul Seminary was begun in 1901 and consecrated in 1905. Designed by Minnesota architect Clarence H. Johnston in the basilica style, it blends Romanesque and Byzantine architecture. Artist Bancel LaFarge of New Haven, Connecticut, completed the installation of the stained glass and murals in the 1930s.

The chapel was renovated in 1973, and more extensively in 1988. This project was undertaken with the assistance of liturgical consultant Frank Kacmarcik. A new sanctuary area was created in the north end of the chapel allowing the apse area to become the environment of the baptismal font and new access to the chapel.

In the spring of 2000 a two-manual, 27-rank mechanical action pipe organ designed by Noack Organ Company of Georgetown, Massachusetts, was installed.

St. John Vianney Chapel

The university seminary chapel was redesigned in 1998 by the Rev. Peter Christensen, the rector at that time. The theme of the chapel is “The Tree of Life.” The chapel, an adjoining Eucharistic chapel, and an adjacent prayer room, replicating a medieval monastic cloister, are open for anyone wishing to use them. The seminary has become a focal point for contemporary religious art, including the iconic triptych in the foyer and the mosaic behind the altar.

A small one-manual Van Daalen organ was moved to the chapel in 2000.

Florance Chapel

The Florance Chapel is the lower chapel in the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas. An award-winning design in its renovation, it incorporates modern furnishings in the prairie school style of Frank Lloyd Wright along with some of the oldest sacred sculptural artwork owned by the university.

St. Thomas More Chapel

Located in the School of Law on the Minneapolis campus, the two-story St. Thomas More Chapel features colored art-glass windows, seating for more than 100 and a striking bronze crucifix. A meditation room overlooking the chapel on the second floor provides a quiet respite and a place for reflection.

University Libraries

The University of St. Thomas libraries' print collections (including the Law Library) contain more than 700,000 volumes. Our growing electronic library now provides anytime/anywhere access to 114,000 electronic book titles, 58,000 electronic and print journals, 383 electronic databases and over 77,000 streaming audio and video items. These collections support student scholarship and faculty research through the integration of technology, electronic and print content with research assistance and instruction from librarians and technical staff.

O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library

The O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center is the principle library on the main campus, housing (in addition to the general and reference collections) the university Archives and Special Collections Department. The latter contains the Celtic Collection, one of the most outstanding collections of its type in this country, and a notable collection of the work of Hilaire Belloc and G.K. Chesterton. Its coffee shop, expanded comfortable seating and spaces for group work have made the OSF Library a favorite campus location for research and studying, used by an average of 60,000 people a month during the academic year.

Charles J. Keffer Library

The Charles J. Keffer Library, located in Opus Hall on the Minneapolis campus, serves the College of Education, Leadership and Counseling, and the Opus College of Business, and is the library that is largely responsible for meeting the scholarly needs of the graduate student population of the University of St. Thomas.

Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library

The Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library, located on the south campus, is the graduate theological library which primarily serves The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity. The Ireland Library collection is highly regarded by theological scholars.

CLIC/MINITEX

Relationships with two local library networks benefit UST users by providing access to the collections of regional libraries. Cooperating Libraries in Consortium (CLIC) allows students to obtain books and periodical articles from other Twin Cities private academic libraries (Augsburg College, Bethel College, Concordia College, Hamline University, Hamline Law School, Macalester College, Northwestern College, St. Catherine University, as well as the University of St. Thomas.) Interlibrary loans for materials not owned by the university are available within the CLIC institutions.

Another cooperative venture, MINITEX (Minnesota Interlibrary Telecommunications Exchange) links the university with more than 200 libraries throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North and South Dakota, including the University of Minnesota.

Interlibrary loan is available and makes possible the borrowing of materials from libraries around the nation and the world.

Library Services

The library staff offers a wide range of services to support coursework and research. Reference librarians provide individual help as well as classroom instruction in the use of library materials. Group and collaborative study spaces are available throughout the libraries.

Computing Resources

There are a wide variety of computing resources available for student use at the University. There are general-purpose labs, which any student can use for coursework or personal use. The Information Commons in O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library on the St Paul Campus and the Charles J. Keffer Library on the Minneapolis Campus house the largest general purpose computing facilities on each campus. The Information Commons brings together support for research, writing, information literacy, and computer application support to assist students in developing papers, presentations, and projects. The Information Commons provide both PC and Macintosh computers, printers, scanners and access to the UST wireless network.

There are also specialized departmental labs which are reserved for students who are enrolled in classes or working on course specific assignments. In addition, there are a number of Residence Hall labs that are open to St. Thomas students who live in the Residence Halls.

The University provides a wireless network. The wireless network is available in all public spaces on the Minneapolis and St Paul Campuses as well as in all of the Residence Halls.

The wireless network is also accessible outdoors on the St Paul campus in the following areas (Note: weather conditions may affect access to the wireless network outdoors):

The Luann Dummer Center for Women

The Luann Dummer Center for Women was established in 1993 by a special bequest from the estate of Dr. Luann Dummer, longtime member of the Department of English and founding director of the Women’s Studies Program at the university.

The center aims to foster the intellectual, spiritual and personal development of women. The center serves as a meeting place for women to share their expertise and experience and provides opportunities for students to interact with women role models. Although the center is dedicated especially to women, it is committed to the service of the entire campus community within the context of its mission.

The center sponsors many co-curricular programs related to women and gender. The most important of these is the annual March Women’s History Month Speaker. The center sponsors a number of grants to support students, faculty and staff. These include a scholarship for a Women’s Studies major, research grants for undergraduate and graduate students, professional development grants for staff and faculty, a curriculum development grant, and a leadership award to undergraduate students for participation in programs that will enhance their leadership skills, especially in programs which are directed toward public service.

Science Facilities

The Frey Science and Engineering Center, comprising the O’Shaughnessy Science Hall and the Owens Science Hall, houses the classrooms, instructional and research labs, and faculty/staff offices for the departments of biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, mathematics, Center for Applied Mathematics, physics, and quantitative methods and computer science. It also houses special support facilities such as an attached greenhouse and one-third of the university’s computer terminals.

Auditoriums

The O’Shaughnessy Educational Center (OEC) auditorium has 330 seats on the main level and 292 seats in the balcony level and hosts a number of guest lectures, teleconferences, and student assemblies.

The auditorium in the John R. Roach Center (room 126 JRC) has 194 seats and contains state-of-the-art technology. It is used for course lectures, meetings, conferences and is the site for many student activities including film viewings.

The Baumgaertner Auditorium in Brady Educational Center (BEC), located on the south campus, has 348 seats and is used for musical performances and community events. Musical concerts are also presented in the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel.

The 3M Auditorium, located in Owens Hall of the Frey Science and Engineering Center, has 143 seats, is technologically advanced, and hosts a number of course lectures, teleconferences, and community events.

The Thornton Auditorium, located in the 1000 LaSalle Building at the Minneapolis campus, serves as the site for a number of lectures and presentations.

Athletic Facilities

The athletic facilities at the university provide opportunities for student participation in a variety of varsity, intramural and recreational sports and activities.

The Lee and Penny Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex (AARC) includes venues for basketball, volleyball, running, swimming, tennis, weight and aerobic training and many other recreational activities. Locker rooms and other support areas are also located in this facility.

A six lane, 200 meter track is the focus of the field house which supports varsity track and tennis activities and provides recreational space for the university community.

The AARC also includes an eight lane swimming/diving pool for varsity and recreational activities.

State of the art weight and aerobic training equipment and facilities are included in this complex.

The McCarthy Gym, located on the South Campus, offers 2 collegiate gyms, weight and cardio equipment, racquetball/handball courts, and locker space for additional varsity, intramural, club and recreational activities of the campus community.

Outdoor facilities include the O’Shaughnessy Stadium (football, track and field, intramural and recreational activities), the North Field (baseball and track) and the South Field (fastpitch softball and soccer).

Anderson Student Center

The 225,000 square foot Anderson Student Center officially opened in January 2012. Highlights of the student center include:

A three-story atrium with a spiral staircase connecting all four levels. Adjoining the atrium is a large open area which serves as a “living room” for the UST community. There are 9 flat panel screens located in this area that broadcast digital signage.

Dining facilities include T’s where ethnic dishes and meals are prepared to order; the View, named for fantastic views of Palmer Field, O’Shaughnessy Stadium and the Lower Quad. Students may select from fresh, local and sustainable product to be prepared right in front of them by one of UST’s talented chefs.

85 - named for 1885 to acknowledge the year of UST founding. This recreational facility includes flat screens with gaming consoles (Wii, Xbox, Playstation), Air Hockey, and Table Tennis tables as well as surface gaming tables.

University Bookstores

The St. Paul campus Bookstore is located in the Murray-Herrick Campus Center. The store sells and rents new and used textbooks. The bookstore also offers a complete line of school and office supplies, computers and computer supplies, insignia clothing and gifts, candy, class rings, cards, gifts and magazines.

The Minneapolis campus Bookstore, located in Terence Murphy Hall, sells and rents new and used textbooks for classes taught on that campus and most off-campus graduate classes. It also carries all of the same items mentioned above.

Check out the new Tommie Shop in the Anderson Student Center. The Tommie Shop carries all the latest styles and best sellers in clothing and gifts.